Every passing day, Pakistan comes up on the global stage for a variety of issues – some definitely more pressing than others, such as environmental conservation. This year, on the Environmental Performance Index – which is a method of quantifying and numerically marking the environmental performance of a state’s policies, Pakistan ranked 169th.
That…isn’t so great. It makes us the 12th worst nation on the list.
We also have 6 cities on the list of most-polluted cities by particulate matter concentration – with Peshawar and Rawalpindi being 12th and 13th respectively.
In our own capacities, citizens and media outlets have been making an effort to make people aware about safe practices to help revive our environment and preserve it for our future.
Therefore, Anusheh Shahid of Style Haven Blog, photographer Areesh Zubair, and clothing giant, Generation came together to educate the masses about the need for environmental conservation.
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In a three-part miniseries, they talk about numerous issues. The first being the improper conservation of water.
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The videos are extremely simple, yet highlight some of the most shocking facts with a call to action.
For photographer Areesh Zubair, the project is extremely close to his heart and is something that he had always wanted to do and talk about. The causes not only affect people in the short run, but have devastating effects in the future if they are not curbed now.
The second episode talks about the much dreaded topic – smog.
For Anusheh Shahid, her first encounter with smog was only this year when she decided to move to Lahore. Thus, talking about it held significant importance.
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It highlights facts like how, in 2017, breathing the air in Lahore was equivalent to smoking 44 cigarettes a day.
However, the initiative also provides simple solutions through its posts.
“A major reason for air pollution is crop burning,” states one of the posts. “But it is also due to industrial emissions and the increased number of cars on the roads. On a personal level we can work towards cutting down air pollution by planting more trees and reducing the number of trips we take in a car (carpool, bike or walk instead), plus avoid the burning of leaves, trash and other material.”
In the last part of the miniseries, we are all reminded how the best time to actually plant a tree has been long gone!
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But what’s a ray of hope is that the second best time to plant a tree is now upon us and the entire series calls out to people for help.
People have received the campaign really well, and how effectively and beautifully it has managed to put the point across.
People are talking about how raising our voices on these issues has been the need of the hour.
People are also discussing how various influential platforms can play a pivotal role in creating awareness regarding important and sensitive topics.
What do you think about the campaign? Let us know in the comments!
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Cover Image via @stylehavenblog and @areeshzubair/Instagram
